Preschool

PLAY Silver Lake Preschool offers a variety of choices to match the needs of the community. We offer 2, 3 & 5 half day and full day programs. These programs are designed for parents who are looking to both introduce their children to a more academic and social environment or give their child an edge when preparing to enroll for elementary school.

Preschool
PLAY offers a preschool program for children ages 3-4 years of age. The preschool program is designed to provide an enriched developmental curriculum that will foster children’s dispositions to be curious and involved learners who are active participants in constructing their knowledge of the world. To support the child’s construction of knowledge, teachers support child-initiated engagement and experimentation with a variety of materials based on the our development curriculum and child’s interest level and ability.
Children are encouraged to develop ideas over time, to deepen their understanding of the natural and social world by questioning, exploring and representing ideas through various creative mediums.
Indoor and outdoor activities expose the children to art, science, music, dramatic play, and language development on a daily basis. Being part of a shared community is actively encouraged. Center teachers emphasize cooperation and create classroom groups that develop concern for each other as they problem solve and work together. Curriculum is carried out with the belief that children are learning at all times and that the teacher’s role is to facilitate and enrich the learning process.

A Typical Day at Preschool

7:30- 9:00 am Early Morning Drop Off. Children and parents are greeted by their teacher. Children are encouraged to visit a classroom learning area or participate in a table activity. Depending on the time of arrival, children and parents may use this opportunity to have a snack or read a book together before their good-byes.

9:00- 9:30 – School Begins. Children may use the restrooms or finish early morning activities. Children begin their day in the classroom for 30 minutes. Here they may explore: the dramatic play, art, blocks, language, science, math library and more.

9:30-10:15 – Indoor Activities. Children are given the opportunity to work in small groups in each of the activity areas set up in their classrooms or participate in a large teacher driven activity. Both options give opportunities for fine and gross motor development.

10:15-10:25 – Indoor Circle Time/Planning. Morning circle time allows the children and teachers an opportunity to come together as an entire group. The whole class experience offers children the opportunity to express ideas, make plans, learn concepts and create a sense of community. Music and stories are utilized as a teaching tool to facilitate language and literacy development and for pure enjoyment! Children are individually dismissed from circle to work on a project of their choosing.

10:25-11:00 – Classroom Project Work Children will work individually or in small groups on a project of their choice. Teachers work on planned activities that will build upon the child’s skills and encourage them to explore concepts and ideas. Projects can be extended in order to give each child the opportunity continue their exploration and research. Through this open-ended balance of teacher/child initiated learning, both teacher and child are researchers.

11:30-12:00 Lunch. Children may choose to participate in our hot lunch food program or teachers may help warm up food that parents provide.

12:00-12:30pm Yard Exploration. Children use this time to use our play structure, create road systems in the sand or help with the daily maintenance of the 150 sq ft organic garden.

12:30-2:30 – Nap(optional). Children are given the opportunity to rest their bodies. Those children who do not nap are given free play on the playground.

2:30 – Afternoon Snack Bathroom breaks are given and children wash up for afternoon snack. Children are then given the opportunity to enroll in after school enrichment classes that vary every day.

3:30-4:30 Full Day Dismissal After children finish their snacks they are given the opportunity to play on the yard until pick up. This is a great opportunity for parents to spend a moment playing with their child on the playground. After school activities like art, music, dance, science take place.

4:30 -6:00pm Free Play Children are given the opportunity to exploring the playground until pick up.